Method and apparatus for workpiece surface modification for selective material deposition

ABSTRACT

Methods and apparatus are provided for selective modification of the surface of a workpiece. In some embodiments, using a workpiece-surface-influencing device that preferentially contacts the top surface of the workpiece, chemical modification of the top surface is achieved on desired field areas of the workpiece without affecting the surfaces of cavities or recesses in the field areas. The workpiece-surface-influencing device includes a substance which is chemically reactive with material forming the surface of the workpiece. The chemically active material can be in the form of a thin film or coating which contacts the surface of the workpiece to chemically modify that surface. In some embodiments, the workpiece-surface-influencing device can be in the form of a solid state applicator such as a roller or a semi-permeable membrane. In some other embodiments, the cavities are filled with material that prevents surface modification of the cavity surfaces while allowing modification of the field areas, or which encourages surface modification of the cavity surfaces while preventing modification of the field areas. The modified surface facilitates selective deposition of materials on the workpiece. After modifying the workpiece surface, material can be selectively deposited on, e.g., unmodified surfaces by electroplating or other means of material deposition to, e.g., form damascene structures during integrated circuit fabrication.

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the priority benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) ofprovisional Application No. 60/824,038, filed Aug. 30, 2006, entitledWORKPIECE SURFACE MODIFICATION FOR SELECTIVE MATERIAL DEPOSITION, theentire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to selective modification of thesurface of a workpiece. More particularly, the present invention relatesto selectively modifying the workpiece surface to allow selectivedeposition on the workpiece, such as selective deposition on asemiconductor substrate during integrated circuit fabrication.

2. Description of the Related Art

Many steps are typically performed to manufacture multi-levelinterconnects for integrated circuits (IC). Such steps includedepositing conducting and insulating materials on a workpiece, such as asemiconductor substrate or wafer, followed by full or partial removal ofthese materials using photolithography to pattern photoresist toselectively remove material by selective exposure to etchant, such asduring damascene processing, to form a desired pattern of recessedfeatures such as vias, contact holes, lines, trenches and channels.These features may be referred to generally as recesses or cavities, andthe overlying surfaces in which the features are formed may be referredto as field areas or the top surface of the workpiece. Typically, thefield areas are planar. The recesses typically come in a wide variety ofdimensions and shapes and are filled with a highly conductive materialusing electro- or electroless plating or other methods of materialdeposition. Common filling techniques deposit material both in therecesses and on the field areas. Consequently, additional processingsteps such as etching and/or chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) aretypically performed to remove the excess material deposited on fieldareas. A low resistance interconnection structure is formed between thevarious sections of the IC after completing these deposition and removalsteps multiple times.

Copper (Cu) and copper alloys are typically used for interconnections inICs because of their low electrical resistivity and high resistance toelectromigration. Electrodeposition is a common method for depositingcopper into recesses on a workpiece surface.

A conventional electrodeposition method and apparatus are described inFIG. 1A and 1B. FIG. 1A illustrates a cross-sectional view of aworkpiece 10 having an insulator forming its top section. Usingconventional deposition and etching techniques, features 18 a, 18 b suchas a dense array of small vias 18 a or trenches 18 b are formed in theworkpiece. Typically, the widths of the vias 18 a may be sub-micron. Thevias 18 a may be narrow and deep; in other words, they can high aspectratios (i.e., their depth to width ratio is large). A dual-damascenestructure (not shown), on the other hand, has a wide trench and a smallvia on the bottom. The wide trench has a small aspect ratio.

FIGS. 1B illustrates a conventional method for filling the recesses ofFIG. 1A with copper. The workpiece 10 and the insulator have depositedthereon a barrier or adhesion layer and a seed layer overlying thebarrier or adhesion layer. For ease of illustration, the barrier andseed layer are referred to together by the reference numeral 12.

With reference to FIG. 1B, after depositing the seed layer 12, aconductive material 14, e.g., copper, is electrodeposited on the seedlayer 6 from a plating bath. During this step, electrical contact ismade to the seed layer and/or the barrier layer 12 so that a cathodic(negative) voltage can be applied thereto with respect to an anode (notshown). Thereafter, the conductive material 14 is electrodeposited overthe workpiece surface using the plating solution. The seed layer 12 isshown as an integral part of the deposited layer of conductive material14 in FIG. 1B. By using additives, such as chloride ions,suppressors/inhibitors, and accelerators, it is possible to obtainbottom-up growth of conductive material (such as copper) in therecesses.

As shown in FIG. 1B, the deposited copper 14 completely fills the vias18 a and is generally conformal in the large trench 18 b. Copper doesnot completely fill the trench 18 b, however, because the additives arenot operative in large features. For example, it is believed that thebottom up deposition observed in vias and other features with largeaspect ratios occurs because the suppressor/inhibitor molecules attachthemselves to the top portion of the feature openings to suppress thematerial growth thereabouts. These molecules cannot effectively diffusethrough the narrow openings to the bottom surface of high aspect ratiofeatures such as the vias 18 a of FIG. 1. Preferential adsorption of theaccelerator on the bottom surface of the vias 18 a, moreover, results infaster growth in that region, resulting in bottom-up growth and thecopper deposit profile shown in FIG. 1B. Consequently, as can be seen inFIG. 1B, the relatively large aspect ratio features 18 a are overfilled,while relatively large aspect ratio features 18 b are filled moreconformally. It will be appreciated that, without the appropriateadditives, copper can grow on the vertical walls as well as the bottomsurface of the high aspect ratio features at the same rate, therebycausing defects such as seams and voids, as is well known in theindustry.

In the next step of interconnect formation, excess deposited material 14is removed from the field areas of the workpiece 10, leaving conductivematerial 14 in trenches, vias and other recesses in the workpiece. Thisstep eliminates electrical contacts between interconnects or otherfeatures formed by the conductive material 14. As known in the art, acommon technique for selective material removal from the top of aworkpiece is Chemical Mechanical Planarization (CMP). After the CMPstep, the material 14 is completely removed from field areas 14, asshown in FIG. 1C.

CMP technology is well accepted in the integrated circuit fabricationindustry and has became a standard part of manufacturing processes.However, various problems may limit the use of CMP in the fabrication offuture generations of integrated circuits. These problems include, forexample, dishing and erosion (excessive removal of conducting ordielectric material), high process cost, defects, and limitedapplicability for low-k materials.

To reduce or eliminate the problems associated with CMP, several methodshave been developed for selective material deposition in only recessedareas of a workpiece.

A new class of plating techniques, called Electrochemical MechanicalDeposition (ECMD), has been developed to deposit material on workpieceswith cavities. U.S. Pat. No. 6,176,992, entitled “Method and Apparatusfor Electrochemical Mechanical Deposition”, discloses a technique thatachieves deposition of the conductive material into the cavities on aworkpiece surface while minimizing deposition on field regions. ThisECMD process results in planar material deposition, but simultaneouspolishing and material deposition is prone to critical defect formation.

U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,051,934, 6,974,775, 6,787,460, and 6,410,418 describevarious other methods for selective plating or deposition. Thesemethods, however, are faced with various problems that limit theirpractical applicability.

Accordingly, a need exists for methods and systems for controllingdeposition onto desired parts of a workpiece.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one aspect of the invention, a method for semiconductorprocessing is provided. The method comprises providing a workpiecehaving a top surface and a pattern of recesses in the top surface. Thetop surface is selectively contacted, relative to surfaces of therecess, with a surface modification agent to chemically modify the topsurface. Subsequently, material is selectively deposited into therecesses. Deposition of the material is inhibited on the top surface.

According to another aspect of the invention, a method for integratedcircuit fabrication is provided. The method comprises providing asubstrate having a field area and a cavity open to the field area. Oneof the field area and a surface of the cavity is selectively chemicallymodified relative to the other of the field surface and the surface ofthe cavity. Subsequently, material is selectively deposited on the otherof the field surface and the surface of the cavity.

According to yet another aspect of the invention, a system forintegrated circuit fabrication is provided. The system comprises asource of a surface modification agent for modifying a substratesurface. A solid state chemistry carrier is configured to apply thesurface modification agent onto a surface of the substrate bymechanically contacting the surface of the substrate. The system alsocomprises a deposition apparatus for depositing material onto thesubstrate.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be better understood from the detailed description ofthe preferred embodiments and from the appended drawings, which aremeant to illustrate and not to limit the invention.

FIGS. 1A-1C are schematic, cross-sectional side views of a workpiece ina sequence of steps for performing a damascene-type copperelectroplating and CMP process according to the prior art.

FIG. 2A-2C are schematic, cross-sectional side views of a workpiecehaving a pattern of recesses with barrier and seed layers and achemistry carrier in contact with the top surface of the workpiece, inaccordance with some embodiments of the invention. The barrier/seedlayers on the top surface are chemically modified and material isselectively deposited into recesses.

FIGS. 3A-3D are schematic, cross-sectional side views of variousworkpieces, showing examples of further processing steps according tosome embodiments of the invention.

FIGS. 4A-4B are schematic, cross-sectional side views of a workpiece incontact with a roller, in accordance with other embodiments of theinvention. The field areas of the workpiece are chemically modifiedafter contact with the roller, which has a chemically active material onits surface.

FIGS. 5A-5C are schematic, cross-sectional side views of a workpiece incontact with a semi-permeable membrane, in accordance with yet otherembodiments of the invention. Chemically active material penetratesthrough the membrane and chemically modifies the top surface ofworkpiece.

FIGS. 6A-6C are schematic, cross-sectional side views of a workpiecehaving cavities filled with a protective substance which is non-mixablewith a substance chemically reactive with the surface of the workpiece,in accordance with other embodiments of the invention. Unprotectedportions of the top surface are modified by contact with the chemicallyactive substance.

FIGS. 7A-7C are schematic, cross-sectional side views of a workpiecehaving cavities filled with a protective substance which is highlymixable with a substance chemically reactive with the surface of theworkpiece, in accordance with yet other embodiments of the invention.The workpiece is exposed to a substance chemically reactive with thesurface of the workpiece, which accumulates in the cavities and modifiessurfaces of the cavities.

FIGS. 8A-8B are top views showing the results of copper electroplatingon a workpiece without and with selective surface modification accordingto embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 9 is a top view showing the results of selective deposition indifferent features of a test wafer, according to embodiments of theinvention.

FIGS. 10A-10B are top views showing the results of selective depositionon different features of a test wafer, according to embodiments of theinvention.

FIG. 11 is an AFM image and measurement of the results of selectivedeposition, according to embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 12 is a top view showing the results of selective deposition intodifferent trenches of a test wafer, according to embodiments of theinvention.

FIG. 13 is a top view showing selective deposition on field areas whiletrenches of a test wafer are protected from deposition.

FIG. 14 is a schematic illustration of an apparatus, a depositionsystem, according to embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 15 is a schematic illustration of the apparatus of FIG. 14, showinga surface modification module in isolation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Embodiments of the invention provide methods and apparatus forcontrolled modification of the surface material of a workpiece. Asurface modification agent selectively modifies the surface material by,e.g., selectively contacting desired parts of the workpiece or byselectively accumulating in desired parts of the workpiece. Themodification prevents deposition on those surfaces. The surfacemodification allows material to be selectively deposited in recesses inthe workpiece, but not field areas. Alternatively, material may beselectively deposited in the field areas but not in recesses.

Advantageously, embodiments of the invention eliminate or significantlyreduce the necessity for planarization or removal of excess depositedmaterial. For example, features can be formed in recesses withoutrequiring CMP to remove material deposited in field areas, therebyavoiding drawbacks associated with CMP (e.g., drawbacks such asexcessive removal of conducting or dielectric material, high processcost, defects, and limited applicability for low-k materials). Theelimination or reduction in the need for a CMP step enables furtheradvantages, such as the possibility of using a variety of fragile low-kmaterials to form damascene structures. Another advantage of someembodiments of the invention is the ability for selective materialdeposition on field areas of a workpiece, thus allowing selectivemodification of dielectric part of damascene structure. Moreover,embodiments of the invention provide simple and robust systems andmethods for selective surface modification.

In some embodiments, a workpiece-surface-influencing device, orapplicator, preferentially contacts the top surface of the workpiecewithout contacting the surfaces of cavities in the workpiece. Chemicalmodification of the contacted field areas of the workpiece is achievedand the surfaces of non-contacted cavities are not chemically modified.Without being limited by theory, it is believed that the surfacechemical modification is achieved by contact chemical reaction of theworkpiece surface with a substance which is chemically reactive withmaterial forming the surface of the workpiece. The chemically activematerial can be in the form of a thin film or a coating on theapplicator, which allows contact with the top surface of the workpiece.

In other embodiments, the cavities of a workpiece can be filled with amasking material. In some embodiments, unmasked field areas of theworkpiece are left exposed and are chemically modified. In otherembodiments, the surfaces of cavities in the workpiece are chemicallyaltered while field areas remain unaltered.

After selectively altering surfaces of the workpiece, material can beselectively deposited on unaltered surfaces. A conductive material, suchas copper, can be deposited on unaltered surfaces, such as cavitysurfaces, by electrochemical plating. For example, embodiments of theinvention can allow selective metal deposition in trenches for damasceneprocesses to form semiconductor or integrated circuit structures.

It will be appreciated that electrochemical deposition typicallyutilizes barrier and seed layers to facilitate the deposition.Advantageously, in some embodiments of the invention, selective surfacemodification can be performed before deposition of the barrier and/orseed layer. In such embodiments, the barrier and/or seed layerdeposition can be provided only in trenches and vias, which can beadvantageous for avoiding unnecessary contamination ofinterconnect/interlayer dielectrics, thereby resulted in a superiorinterconnect structure.

With reference to the description herein, it will be appreciated thatthe terms, chip, integrated circuit, monolithic device, semiconductordevice, and microelectronic device, are used interchangeably.

The terms metal line, trace, wire, conductor, signal path and signalingmedium are all related and may be formed using embodiments of theinvention. The related terms listed above are generally interchangeableand appear in order from more specific to more general.

Metal lines may also be referred to as traces, wires, lines,interconnects or simply metal. Metal lines, which can be formed ofcopper (Cu) or an alloy of Cu and another metal or metals, such asnickel (Ni), aluminum (Al), titanium (Ti) and molybdenum (Mo), orstacked layers of different metals, alloys or combinations thereof, areconductors that provide signal paths for coupling or electricallyinterconnecting electrical circuitry.

Conductors other than metal may also be used to form microelectronicdevices. Materials such as doped polysilicon, doped single-crystalsilicon (often referred to simply as diffusion doped, regardless ofwhether such doping is achieved by thermal diffusion or ionimplantation), titanium (Ti), molybdenum (Mo), and refractory metalsilicides are examples of other conductors.

As used herein, the term metal applies both to substantially pure singlemetallic elements and to alloys or combinations of two or more elements,at least one of which is a metallic element.

Substrate generally refers to the physical object that is the basicworkpiece, which is transformed by various process operations into adesired electronic device, such as an integrated circuit. Substrates mayinclude conducting material (such as copper or aluminum), insulatingmaterial (such as ceramic, plastic, or sapphire), semiconductingmaterials (such as silicon), non-semiconducting material, orcombinations of semiconducting and non-semiconducting materials. In someembodiments, substrates include layered structures such as a sheet ofmaterial chosen for electrical and/or thermal conductivity (such ascopper or copper plated nickel/iron alloys) covered with a layer ofdielectric, such as plastic, chosen for electrical insulation,stability, and embossing characteristics. In some other embodiments, theworkpiece can be a solar panel.

The term vertical is defined to mean substantially perpendicular to themajor surface of a substrate. Height or depth refers to a distance in adirection perpendicular to the major surface of a substrate.

The term top surface or field area refers to a surface of a workpiecewhich is outside of a recess and in which the recess is formed. It willbe appreciated that, where the recess opens upward, the top surface isabove the level of the recess and wherein the recess opens downward, thetop surface is below the level of the recess.

Reference will now be made to the Figures, in which like numerals andlike hatching refer to like parts throughout. It will be appreciatedthat the Figures are not necessarily drawn to scale.

As noted above, FIGS. 1A-1C illustrate, in simplified, cross-sectionalschematic form, a sequence of steps for performing a damascene typecopper electroplating and CMP process according to prior art practices.Damascene processing typically includes the following simplified steps:

-   -   1. Create recessed areas in isolated (dielectric) materials on a        substrate where interconnects will be placed.    -   2. Sputter (or electroless deposit) material to coat the entire        surface of the substrate.    -   3. Blanket electroplate metal (e.g., Cu) to fill the imprinted        features and cover the entire substrate with metal.    -   4. Grind off excess metal down to the top surface of the        substrate.

FIG. 1A shows a patterned substrate 10 with barrier and seed layers 12overlying the top surface 14 and surfaces 16 of recesses 18 a, 18 b inthe substrate 10. The substrate 10 (formed of insulating material in theillustrated section) is embossed with a pattern of channels 18 b locatedamongst raised areas 20. These channels 18 b define where the finaltraces will ultimately be formed.

With reference to FIG. 1B, a conductive layer 22, such as a sputteredconductor, such as copper or nickel or other suitable metal, or anelectrolessly deposited material such as nickel or copper, is formed onthe substrate 10. Wet chemical electroplating can also be used to plateadditional material (such as copper or other suitable metal) to asuitable thickness to form the layer 22. Dense areas 24 with smallfeatures 18 a are overfilled and areas 26 with wide channels or trenches18 b are filled below the level of the top surface 14 as a result ofdeposition by electroplating. Material deposited on field areas 14 istypically as thick as or exceeds the depth of the trenches 18 b.

FIG. 1C shows embossed substrate 10 after the thick plating layer 22 hasbeen mechanically polished off field areas 14, leaving separated traces28 isolated from one another in recesses or channels 18 a, 18 b byinsulating material of the substrate 10 layer. The top surface 14, as aresult of one or more grinding or polishing steps, typically exhibitsroughness at some scale.

Undesirably, CMP processes can cause dishing (recess in metal lines), asillustrated in the areas 26, and erosion (recess in dielectric lines),as illustrated in the area 24. Another difficulty that arises in CMPprocesses is uneven polishing, particularly when performed on a largesubstrate. Even if polishing is evenly performed across the entiresubstrate, overpolishing of the deposited metal (i.e., excess materialremoval) can result in traces that are too thin, while underpolishing ofthe deposited metal (i.e., insufficient material removal) can result inshorts between traces. Uneven polishing can result from variations inthe substrate thickness or stiffness, or variations in the embossingsurface or pressure applied during embossing. Thus, the resulting tracescan vary in thickness and conductive properties. Grinding can also causethe traces to have a rough grooved surface, making later connections tothe traces difficult, costly, and/or unreliable.

Some embodiments of the present invention are illustrated in FIGS.2A-2C. FIG. 2A shows an embossed substrate 100 with barrier and seedlayers 110 and a substantially flat chemistry carrier 120 which has beenbrought into contact with a top surface 130 of the substrate 100. Thesubstrate 100 is provided with recesses 132.

While shown as a single layer for ease of illustration, it will beappreciated that the layer 110 can include two separately formed layers,a separately formed barrier layer and a separately formed seed layer.The barrier layer can formed of, e.g., tantalum, nitrides of tantalum,titanium, tungsten, TiW, or combinations thereof, or any other materialthat is commonly used in the art for forming barrier layers. The barrierlayer can be deposited using various methods known in the art,including, e.g., sputtering and chemical vapor deposition (CVD).Thereafter, a seed layer is deposited on the barrier layer using variousmethods known in the art. For deposition of a desired metal, the seedlayer may be formed of various conductive materials compatible withelectrochemical deposition of the desired metal. For example, the seedlayer may be copper or copper substitutes for deposition of copper intothe recesses 132.

The chemistry carrier 120 preferably is shaped to contact the topsurface 130 of the substrate 100. For a substantially flat substrate,the chemistry carrier 120 can be a substantially flat piece of material,e.g., a rigid flat body such as glass or a film, that is covered with athin layer 140 of a chemically active material. The area of thechemistry carrier 120 preferably exceeds the area of the substrate 100to be processed, so that the chemistry carrier 120 completely covers thesubstrate 100. In other embodiments, the chemistry carrier 120 issmaller in area than the substrate 100 and multiple exposures to thechemistry carrier 120 are used to contact all desired areas of the 100substrate with the chemistry carrier 120.

It should be understood that other materials than glass, having thedesired flatness, surface roughness and quality, can be used to form thechemistry carrier 120. The thin chemistry layer 140 shown in FIG. 2A canhave a thickness of between about 1 and about 500 nm (preferably about1-300 nm and, more preferably, about 50-100 nm) and can be depositedusing various methods such as contact coating, spin coating, vaporcondensation, chemical deposition from solution or other methods knownin the art. One possible method for deposition of the thin layer 140 ofchemically active material on a flat surface is arrangement of achemical material as a monolayer film having a liquid surface (notshown). The film can subsequently be transferred to the chemistrycarrier 120. Preferably, the film deposition results in a film with highuniformity, controlled thickness and continuity.

As discussed herein, substances used for the surface modification agent,or chemically active substance or material, can be a material chosenfrom the classes of polymers, thiols, P-,s-,t-amines and carboxylates.This list of materials is for illustration only and does not preventusing other materials with desired properties. The surface modificationagent has the property of preventing deposition of a material at thepoints of contact with the substrate 100. Preferably, the surfacemodification agent has the ability to form complexes or chemical bondswith the substrate material, is easily handled, is non-toxic, haslimited volatility, has desired (for different applications) solubilityin process solvents, and has desired wettability to the substrate 100and to the chemistry carrier 120. The surface modification agent mayhave two or more functional groups, each group reactive with one of thesubstrate 100 and the chemistry carrier 120. The chemical activity andreaction between the workpiece or substrate 100 and the surfacemodification agent includes oxidation, complex formation, change ofconductivity and change of surface energy.

With reference to FIG. 2B the chemistry carrier 120 is separated frommodified top surface 131 of the workpiece 100 after chemicalmodification of the barrier/seed layer 110 on embossed features by acontact solid phase chemical reaction. With reference to FIG. 2C,material 150 is selectively deposited into recesses 132. The depositioncan be accomplished by various deposition methods known in the art.Advantageously, electroplating or other deposition process will onlydeposited material in non-modified areas of the workpiece. Otherdeposition process may include but are not limited to ALD, electrolessplating, physical vapor deposition and chemical vapor deposition. Ingeneral any deposition process with selectivity to modified substratesurfaces 131 can be used for deposition of material into the recesses132.

Selective chemical modification of workpiece surface 130 and selectivedeposition of material in recesses 132 allow further processadvancements, as illustrated in FIGS. 3A-3D. With reference to FIG. 3A,the top surface 130 of the workpiece 100 can be non-selectively polishedor etched to remove the barrier/seed layer 110 after selectivedeposition of conductive material 150 into recesses 132 (FIG. 2B).Additional material (for example high purity copper) can be depositedfor annealing and defect reduction after selective deposition ofconductive material in trenches. It will be appreciated that, byremoving the barrier/seed layer 110, the additional material willadvantageously preferentially grow on the already deposited materialduring a subsequent deposition.

With reference to FIG. 3B, surfaces of the substrate 100 can beselectively modified as desired before forming barrier and/or seedlayers. For example, the top surfaces of the substrate 100 can beselectively modified to form modified surfaces 131 before forming thebarrier/seed layers 110. Advantageously, by preventing deposition of theseed/barrier layer over the field areas 131, contamination of the fieldareas (which may be formed of dielectric) by material forming theseed/barrier layers 110 can be avoided.

With reference to FIG. 3C, the surface of the substrate 100 issubstantially planar after selective material deposition into recesses132 and different, non-selective methods of material deposition can beused for the illustrated process step. This step does not requireprocess selectivity (such as filling trenches in a plating process withaccelerators/suppressors) and high purity materials can be deposited.

With reference to FIG. 3D, due to the different materials of thesubstrate 100 and the deposited material 150, additional materials maybe selectively deposited on one of the substrate 100 or the depositedmaterial 150. For example, material selective cupping, e.g., copperselective electroless cupping, can be used to form protective structures151 to protect interconnects formed by the deposited material 150.

Additional embodiments of the invention are illustrated in FIGS. 4A-4B.The applicator for the surface modification agent is in the form of aroller 121 with a layer 140 of the surface modification agent, e.g., achemically active material, on its surface. As illustrated, the roller121 is brought into contact with the substrate 100. Preferably, theroller 121 has a uniform, rounded surface, such that the roller 121touches only the top surfaces 130, 131 of the substrate 100 when itrolls over the substrate 100. The chemically active material on theroller surface may be replenished by contact with another chemistrycarrier 122, e.g., a flat plate having a layer 141 of the surfacemodification agent, which functions as a reservoir for the surfacemodification agent. In some embodiments, the roller 121 simultaneouslyrolls over both the top surfaces 130, 131 of the substrate 100 and thesurface of the other chemistry carrier 122. Thus, the roller 121 cansimultaneously contact the top surfaces 130, 131 for chemical reactionof the surface modification agent with those surfaces, while alsoreplenishing the surface modification agent on the surface of the roller121.

Other methods for thin layer deposition of chemically active material onan applicator, or chemical carrier, can be used. Preferable thickness ofchemically active material is 1 to 100 nm, substances are in general asdescribed in previous embodiment.]] The field areas 131 of the workpiece100 are chemically modified after contact with the roller 121. Withreference to FIG. 4B, material 150 is selectively deposited intorecesses 132 by, e.g., a conventional deposition method such aselectrochemical plating.

As illustrated in FIGS. 5A-5C, in some embodiments, a semi-permeablemembrane 160 can be used to provide the surface modification agent tothe top surface 130 of the substrate 100. A supply 161 of the surfacemodification agent is provided on a side of the semi-permeable membrane160 opposite the substrate 100. In some embodiments, the semi-permeablemembrane 160 is an ion-exchange membrane. With reference to FIG. 5A, thesemi-permeable membrane 160 is brought into contact with the top surface130 of the embossed workpiece 100. The semi-permeable membrane 160allows penetration of certain, desired materials, while blocking othersubstances. An example of an ion-exchange membrane includes, withoutlimitation, Nafion® produced by E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company ofWilmington, Del. The surface modification agent penetrates through thesemi-permeable membrane 160 and contacts and modifies the top surface130 of the workpiece 100. The membrane 160 has sufficient structuralintegrity and rigidity that it does not touch surfaces of the recesses132. Where the substrate 100 is substantially planar, the membrane 160preferably also has a substantially planar surface for contacting thetop surface 130. The surface modification agent does not reach into therecess 132 and does not modify surfaces of the recesses 132. Themembrane 160 is separated from the workpiece 100 after chemicalmodification of the top surface 130 of the workpiece 100, as shown inFIG. 5B. Material 150 is subsequently selectively deposited intorecesses 132 by, e.g., a conventional deposition method such aselectrochemical plating, as shown in FIG. 5C.

With reference to FIGS. 6A-6C, a masking material or protectivesubstance 170 can be deposited in the recesses 132 to allow selectivemodification of the top surfaces 130. With reference to FIG. 6A,trenches and cavities 132 of the workpiece 100 are filled with theprotective substance 170, which can be a liquid in some embodiments. Theprotective substance 170 is preferably immiscible with the chemicallyactive substance. For example, the protective substance 170 can benon-polar, e.g., an oil-based liquid, and the chemically activesubstance can be polar, e.g., a water soluble substance. The protectivesubstance 170 prevents the chemically active substance from contactingand modifying surfaces of the recesses 132. The unprotected top surface130 of the workpiece 100 is modified to form modified surfaces 131 bycontact with the chemically active substance, which can be in, e.g., gasor liquid form. The protective substance 170 in recesses 132 of theworkpiece 100 prevents chemical modification of the recess surfaces,leading to different surface properties in the top surfaces 131 and therecesses 132 of the workpiece 100. With reference to FIG. 6B, theprotective substance 170 is removed from the cavities and trenches 132of the workpiece 100 after surface modification is accomplished. Theremoval can be accomplished by various methods, including, e.g.,evaporation. With reference to FIG. 6C, material 150 is subsequentlyselectively deposited into the recesses 132 by, e.g., a conventionaldeposition method such as electrochemical plating.

With reference to FIGS. 7A-7C, in some embodiments, material can beselectively deposited in field areas of a workpiece 100 rather than inrecesses. With reference to FIG. 7A, the trenches and cavities 132 ofthe workpiece 100 are filled with a substance 180 (preferably a liquid)which is miscible with the surface modification agent. The miscibilityof the substance 180 and the surface modification agent is understood inwide terms of solubility, affinity or any other chemical or physicalattraction. In some embodiments, the substance 180 is water and thesurface modification agent is MPTES.

With continued reference to FIG. 7A, as indicated by arrows, theworkpiece 100 is exposed to a surface modification agent in gas, film orliquid form. Advantageously, the high miscibility of the substance 180with the surface modification agent results in the mixing, retention andaccumulation of the surface modification agent in recesses 132. Thus,surface modification occurs in the trenches and cavities 132, resultingin modified surfaces 133 (FIG. 7B).

With reference to FIG. 7B, the substance 180 is removed from cavitiesand trenches 132 of the workpiece 100 by, e.g., evaporation. Withreference to FIG. 7C, material is selectively deposited on top surfaces130 of the workpiece 100 by, e.g., a conventional deposition method suchas electrochemical plating.

It will be appreciated that the material deposition of FIG. 7C isreversed relative to the situation of embodiments targeting selectivematerial deposition in recesses. FIG. 7C shows the advantageous abilityof embodiments of the present invention to control the selectivity ofmaterial deposition.

The feasibility of embodiments of the invention is illustrated in FIGS.8-13, showing different samples of test wafers processed according toembodiments of the invention.

FIG. 8A is optical image of a test wafer (a patterned wafer) aftercopper electroplating on the test wafer without any surfacemodification. The trench and field areas of the wafer were plated withcopper using a H₂SO₄/CuSO₄ plating solution with a platinum counterelectrode at a current density of 30 mA per square inch for 1 minute. Itwill be appreciated that the roughness of the deposited film can bereduced by optimization of current density, cell configuration andchemistry additives, as known in the electroplating art. The platingoptimization was omitted in the present experiments for processsimplification and for visualization purposes. It can be seen thatcopper has been deposited on both field area 200 and trench 210.

With reference to FIG. 8B, the same copper electroplating as performedwith reference to FIG. 8A is performed on another wafer with selectivesurface modification of field area 220 resulting in copper deposition intrench 230 only, while field area 220 remains intact. The wafer used inthis test was modified as discussed with reference to the embodimentsillustrated in FIGS. 2A-2C. Microscope cover glasses were used as flatsubstrates for chemistry carrying. The glass plates were covered with athin layer of MPTES (mercaptopropyltriethoxysilane) (a thiol classsubstance), which was made to contact the wafer, to react with the fieldarea 220. Advantageously, the quality and thickness of the MPTES coatingwas not specifically controlled and was allowed to vary in a wide range.The positive results of these experiments show that embodiments of theinvention are robust and reliable.

Other results of experiments with selective deposition in wide andnarrow trenches and in different structures of test wafers are presentedin FIGS. 9-10. The electrochemically deposited copper appears dark inthe images due to the higher surface roughness of the deposited copper.In all cases, the modified field areas of the workpieces were free fromcopper deposition, confirming the effectiveness of embodiments of theinvention.

The ability of embodiments of the invention to allow complete fill oftrenches is illustrated also in FIG. 11, which shows an AFM image andmeasurements of samples with selective copper deposition in trenches.Initial trench depth (not shown) was ˜500 nm. Advantageously, after theselective material deposition, the copper in the trench was higher thanin the field area.

FIG. 13 shows the results of selective deposition on field areas of awafer, while trenches of the wafer were protected from depositionaccording to the embodiments discussed with reference to FIG. 7A-7C. Thestarting pattern of trenches, recessed squares and lines, is similar tothat of the wafer shown in FIG. 12. In FIG. 12, the recessed areas ofthe workpiece exhibit material deposition (darker color), but in FIG. 13the situation is reversed—material (dark color) is deposited in fieldareas of the workpiece. These results illustrate advantages of thepresent invention, with controlled deposition of material either onelevated or on recessed features of a workpiece.

It will be appreciated that preferred embodiments of the invention canbe used with various deposition systems known in the art, and haveparticular advantages for electrochemical deposition systems. FIGS. 14and 15 show schematically a system 200 for integrated fabrication. Thesystem 200 includes a deposition apparatus 202, e.g., a depositionchamber such as an electrochemical deposition chamber or a plating tool.The system 200 also includes one or more chemistry carriers 204 a, 204b, e.g., a solid state chemistry carrier, which can be any of thechemistry carriers described herein, which is connected to a source 208of a surface modification agent 140. The source 208 replenishes thesupply of the surface modification agent 140 on the chemistry carriers204 a, 204 b. It will be appreciated that the chemistry carriers 204 a,204 b can be provided within the same chamber or housing that materialdeposition occurs, or the chemistry carriers 204 a, 204 b can beprovided in different chambers, which can have advantages for producinghigh quality process results. For example, the surface modification cantake place in a surface modification module 210, which is provided at aninterface 212 between the deposition apparatus 202 and an outsidemanufacturing facility environment, e.g., a clean room. Advantageously,a separate surface modification module 210 has advantages for ease ofretrofitting existing processing systems with the chemistry carrier 204.While two chemistry carriers are illustrated, which has advantages forincreasing throughput by allowing a chemistry carrier 204 a to bereplenished with surface modification agent while another chemistrycarrier 204 b is used to modify the surface of a workpiece 206, it willbe appreciated that more than two, or only a single chemistry carriercan be provided in the surface modification module 210.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that other variousomissions, additions and modifications can be made to the embodimentsdescribed herein without departing from the scope of the invention. Allsuch modifications and changes are intended to fall within the scope ofthe invention, as defined by the appended claims.

1. A method for semiconductor processing, comprising: providing aworkpiece having a top surface and a pattern of recesses in the topsurface; selectively contacting, relative to surfaces of the recess, thetop surface with a surface modification agent to chemically modify thetop surface; and subsequently selectively depositing material into therecesses, wherein deposition of the material is inhibited on the topsurface.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein selectively contactingcomprises mechanically contacting the top surface with an applicatorhaving the surface modification agent on an applicator surface forcontacting the top surface.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein theapplicator is a rigid flat body sized and shaped to completely cover theworkpiece during selectively contacting.
 4. The method of claim 2,wherein the applicator is a flat film sized and shaped to completelycover the workpiece during selectively contacting.
 5. The method ofclaim 2, wherein the applicator is a roller, wherein selectivelycontacting comprises rolling over the top surface with the roller. 6.The method of claim 5, wherein rolling over the top surface furthercomprises contacting the roller to a surface modification agent carrier,wherein contacting the roller replenishes a supply of the surfacemodification agent on the roller
 7. The method of claim 2, wherein theapplicator is a semi-permeable membrane, the semi-permeable membranepermeable to the surface modification agent.
 8. The method of claim 7,wherein the semi-permeable membrane is an ion-exchange membrane.
 9. Themethod of claim 2, further comprising depositing the surfacemodification agent on the applicator.
 10. The method of claim 9, whereindepositing the surface modification agent comprises performing a processselected from the group consisting of contact coating, spin coating,vapor condensation, and chemical deposition from solution.
 11. Themethod of claim 9, wherein the surface modification agent is part of aself-assembling monolayer, the self-assembling monolayer disposed on theapplicator after depositing the surface modification agent.
 12. Themethod of claim 1, wherein selectively contacting comprises depositingan immiscible material into the recesses, wherein the immisciblematerial is immiscible with the surface modification agent.
 13. Themethod of claim 12, wherein the immiscible material is an oil.
 14. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the surface modification agent is a materialselected from the group consisting of polymers, thiols, P-,s-,t-aminesand carboxylates.
 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the surfacemodification agent comprises two or more functional groups, one of thefunctional groups reactive with the top surface and an other of thefunctional groups reactive with a surface modification agent applicator.16. The method of claim 1, wherein selectively contacting compriseschemically modifying the top surface with the surface modificationagent.
 17. The method of claim 16, wherein chemically modifyingcomprises oxidation, complex formation, change of conductivity or changeof surface energy.
 18. The method of claim 1, wherein the workpiececomprises a silicon wafer.
 19. The method of claim 1, wherein theworkpiece comprises a solar panel.
 20. The method of claim 1, whereinthe workpiece comprises one or more materials chosen from the groupconsisting of conductors, insulators, semiconductors, non-semiconductingmaterial, or combinations thereof.
 21. The method of claim 1, whereinthe recesses are trenches.
 22. The method of claim 21, whereinsubsequently selectively depositing forms conductive interconnects. 23.The method of claim 1, wherein subsequently selectively depositingcomprises electroplating.
 24. The method of claim 1, whereinsubsequently selectively depositing comprises depositing a materialchosen from the group consisting of copper, nickel, aluminum, titanium,molybdenum, and combinations and alloys thereof.
 25. The method of claim1, wherein subsequently selectively depositing comprises depositing amaterial chosen from the group consisting of doped polysilicon, dopedsingle-crystal silicon, titanium, and refractory metal silicides. 26.The method of claim 1, further comprising depositing a seed layer overthe top surface and surfaces of the recesses before subsequentlyselectively depositing.
 27. The method of claim 26, further comprisingdepositing a barrier layer over the top surface and surfaces of therecesses before depositing the seed layer.
 28. The method of claim 26,further comprising depositing the seed layer before selectivelycontacting.
 29. A method for integrated circuit fabrication, comprising:providing a substrate having a field area and a cavity open to the fieldarea; selectively chemically modifying one of the field area and asurface of the cavity relative to the other of the field surface and thesurface of the cavity; and subsequently selectively depositing materialon the other of the field surface and the surface of the cavity.
 30. Themethod of claim 29, wherein selectively chemically modifying comprisesexposing the substrate to a chemically active substance, the chemicallyactive substance chemically active with the one of the field area andthe surface of the cavity.
 31. The method of claim 30, furthercomprising depositing a cavity-filling material into the cavity beforeselectively chemically modifying, wherein the cavity-filling materialoccupies the cavity during selectively chemically modifying.
 32. Themethod of claim 31, wherein the cavity-filling material is miscible withthe chemically active substance.
 33. The method of claim 31, wherein thecavity-filling material is water.
 34. The method of claim 33 wherein thechemically active substance is MPTES.
 35. The method of claim 31,wherein the cavity-filling material is immiscible with the surfacemodification agent.
 36. The method of claim 31, further comprisingremoving the cavity-filling material from the cavity before subsequentlyselectively depositing material.
 37. The method of claim 31, whereinremoving the cavity-filling material comprises evaporating thecavity-filling material.
 38. The method of claim 29, wherein selectivelychemically modifying comprises mechanically contacting the field areawith a chemistry applicator configured to deliver the chemically activesubstance to the field area.
 39. The method of claim 38, wherein thechemistry applicator is selected from the group consisting of a rigidflat body, a film, a roller and a semi-permeable membrane.
 40. Themethod of claim 29, further comprising non-selectively depositing moreof the material on the selectively deposited material and on the one ofthe selectively chemically modifying the field area and the surface ofthe cavity.
 41. The method of claim 40, further comprising forming acupping layer over the selectively deposited material.
 42. A system forintegrated circuit fabrication, comprising: a source of a surfacemodification agent for modifying a substrate surface; a solid statechemistry carrier configured to apply the surface modification agentonto a surface of the substrate by mechanically contacting the surfaceof the substrate; and a deposition apparatus for depositing materialonto the substrate.
 43. The system of claim 42, wherein the chemistrycarrier is configured to present the surface modification agent on asurface of the chemistry carrier, wherein the chemistry carrier isconfigured to provide the surface modification agent disposed betweenthe surface of the chemistry carrier and the surface of the substratewhile contacting the surface of the substrate.
 44. The system of claim42, wherein the chemistry carrier comprises a roller configured to rollover the surface.
 45. The system of claim 42, wherein the chemistrycarrier comprises a semi-permeable membrane.
 46. The system of claim 45,wherein the semi-permeable membrane is an ion exchange membrane.
 47. Thesystem of claim 42, wherein surface modification agent is a materialselected from the group consisting of polymers, thiols, P-,s-,t-aminesand carboxylates.
 48. The system of claim 42, wherein surfacemodification agent forms a layer on the chemistry carrier, the layerhaving a thickness of 1-500 nm.
 49. The system of claim 42, wherein thethickness is 50-100 nm.
 50. The system of claim 42, wherein thedeposition apparatus is configured to deposit the material on thesubstrate by electrochemical deposition.